Weight Loss Surgery:Is It Right for You »

For the thousands of people affected by severe obesity, the decision to undergo weight loss surgery can be a matter of life and death. But it is not a simple procedure, and once done, it produces life-altering changes. That's why, for many, the decision does not come easily. To help you make the best possible choice, a dynamic team of experts have come together to share their experience, knowledge, and findings about these procedures. Merle Cantor Goldberg is one of this country's leading psychotherapists specializing in eating disorders; Drs. Cowan and Marcus have not only helped develop and refine many of the techniques used in bariatric surgery, but have also taught these procedures to hundreds of other surgeons.

Weight Loss Surgery provides everything the prospective and post-op patient must know. Written in easy-to-understand language, the book begins by asking important questions that must be considered before any decision is made. It then presents a comprehensive overview of the pre-op visits, the various weight loss surgeries available, and the post-op recovery period. Examining both the psychological and the physical impacts of surgery, the authors offer up-to-date information that should be the basis of any informed choice.

Weight loss surgery is not a minor procedure. It is not an extreme makeover. Yet, when appropriate, it can save lives. This thoughtful book offers the information you need to make the decision that's right for you.

About the Author:
Merle Cantor Goldberg, LCSW, received a diplomate in clinical social work from the University of Maryland, and has specialized in treating eating disorders for over thirty-five years. Over this period, she has served as a training leader for the International Association of Eating Disorders. Currently the Executive Director of Associates in Psychotherapy, she has appeared on many radio and television shows and is a highly sought-after lecturer. Ms. Goldberg's articles have been published in numerous newspapers and magazines, and she is the co-author of My Thin Excuse and The Human Circle.

George Cowan, Jr., MD, is a Professor of Surgery at the University of Tennessee Medical School. He has been President of the American College of Nutrition, and Director for the Masters' Course of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery.

William Y. Marcus, MD, is a retired Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at George Washington University Medical School. Dr. Marcus has over four decades of surgical experience, including twenty years specializing in bariatric surgery. He is founder and leader of a large, self-help obesity surgery-support group, serving hundreds of pre-op and post-op patients throughout the greater Washington, DC area.

Library Journal

A popular lecturer on the treatment of eating disorders and clinical obesity, Goldberg (coauthor, My Thin Excuse: Understanding, Recognizing, and Overcoming Eating Disorders) joins M.D.s George Cowan Jr. and William Y. Marcus to provide a comprehensive guide that deals with everything from the weight-loss surgery decision-making process to postsurgery lifestyle adjustments. The chapters on the actual surgery are nicely illustrated, and the index and glossary of medical terms are helpful. Notably, this book offers extended sections that discuss the physical, emotional, mental, and environmental changes that patients will face beyond the six months following surgery. These sections and the section for friends and family are welcome additions not often found in other weight-loss surgery books. The tone is very positive, but the authors do try to present a balanced view by disclosing pitfalls and the ways that patients can sabotage the positive effects of the surgery over time. Highly recommended for all libraries.-Crystal Renfro, Georgia Inst. of Tech. Lib. and Information Ctr., Atlanta Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.